Pillow designs and construction have varied dramatically over the years. Many pillows were previously made including feathers or other relatively soft stuffing materials as the cushioning support. In more recent years, synthetic materials have been favored as the material of choice for constructing pillows.
Various pillow designs and materials are available to provide specified levels of support to the user. One such pillow design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,543 to Dixon. The pillow is described as a medical pillow for providing stabilized support for the head and neck of the user. This support is provided by incorporating a convoluted upper pillow surface to cradle the neck and head of the user. This patent is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
Anti-snore pillows are described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,014,377, 5,123,132, and D-310,610, all to Dixon. Each of these patents is entirely incorporated herein by reference. An elongated bolster area is provided on the top surface of the pillow to support the neck of the user. The bolster and base member act in conjunction with one another to decrease blockage of the user's breathing passageway when the user sleeps on his back or side. Thus, the pillow acts to decrease the tendency of a person to snore.
Several other pillow designs are available and known in the art. A brief discussion of exemplary embodiments of pillow designs is included below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,831 (Treace) relates to a medical head support pillow for use in hospitals. The head support includes a base portion which rests on a supporting surface and inclined side pads. It is described that this pillow is suitable for use as a positioner for the head while a patient is under anesthesia for surgery. This patent is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
Ashley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,347 (which patent is entirely incorporated herein by reference), relates to a pillow construction that includes recesses defined therein. This pillow construction is said to dampen or eliminate the sound of the user's heartbeat while lying on the pillow.
Lake, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,728, discloses a contoured pillow having a central aperture over which the user's face is positioned during use. It is disclosed that the aperture is located such that pressure against the user's face is reduced, thereby reducing the tendency of the face to wrinkle. Similarly, Smit (U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,893) discloses a pillow including a concave or open area located so as to reduce stress in the facial tissues, thereby reducing wrinkling. Each of these patents also is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,855 to Cohen discloses a composite pillow construction which includes a separate insertable core portion that may be used to provide variable levels of firmness. The Cohen patent is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
Sprague, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,275) discloses a shock absorbing pillow which includes a core material having small openings. This core material is wrapped with a cushion and another covering. This patent is entirely incorporated herein by reference.